Catapult launcher for a target grid game



United States Patent [72] Inventors Frank Kohner Washington Heights, New York;

Albert Stubbman, New Hyde Park, New York [21] Appl. No. 678,076 [22] Filed Oct. 25, 1967 [45] Patented Aug. 25, 1970 [73] Assignee Kohner Bros.,lnc.

East Paterson, New Jersey a corporation of New Jersey [54] CATAPULT LAUNCHER FOR A TARGET GRID GAME 4 Claims, 13 Drawing Figs.

[52] US. Cl 124/7, 273/101, 273/105, 273/106, 116/120 [51] Int. Cl F41b 3/02 [50] Field ofSearch. .1 124/7, 16, 4, 6; 46/17, 221, 23, 27, 169; 273/101; 63/14(4) (Cursory) [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,368,541 2/1968 Brink 124/7 1,872,454 8/1932 Horn et a1. 273/101X 2,546,682 3/1951 Wilhelm 46/169 2,912,246 11/1959 Hayward l24/7X 2,945,363 7/1960 Cataldi..... 63/14 3,122,007 2/1964 l-lorland 63/14 (4)UX Assistant Examiner- Thomas Zack Attorneyl(irschstein, Kirschstein, Ottinger and Frank ABSTRACT: A game constituting a target grid, projectiles and a catapult launcher, wherein the target grid is composed of an array of columns and rows of abutting perforated square inverted pyramidal seats the bases of which lie in a common horizontal plane, the seats being subdivided into differently colored areas for selective target objectives, wherein the projectiles are cones with weighted balls frictionally held interiorly of the noses of the cones and different projectiles are differently colored for intended reception in areas of matching color in the target grid, and wherein the catapult launcher is a base with a spring actuated launching lever pivotally connected thereto by a locked wishbone fulcrum, the base being provided with a scoring marker that is slidably captive on the base along a row of scoring graduations.

A pair of parallel fingers on the launching lever are received in openings in the base. These fingers are spaced apart a distance less than the spacing between openings so that the fingers are squeezed together to fit into the openings. Protuberance on the base housing act to deter squeezing of the fingers together to disengage the pins.

" Patented Aug. 25, 1970 3,5253% -F/6.-/ f I} w AL Y STUBBMAN BY d145 aim: flzi- QR EYS ATT Pateniefl Aug. 25, 1970 3,525,313

I 77 ya a; j/ m INVENTORS. FRANK KOHNER ALBERT STUBBMAN 22L, MA. 621

ATTORNEYS CATAPULT LAUNCHER FOR A TARGET GRID GAME BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention A game including a target grid composed of differently colored areas of a patterned array of seats and in combination therewith differently colored conical projectiles and spring actuated launchers for the projectiles.

2. Description of the Prior Art It has been proposed heretofore to provide games in the general category of a target grid with projectiles that are launched by a catapult onto the grid and to form the grid as an orthogonal array of truncated downwardly tapered seats. However, in such games the target grid presented an upwardly facing surface including many three-dimensional pointed cusps which were potentially harmful to young children who, in the excitement of the game, might fall and strike this surface. These games also were provided with projectiles and launchers embodying sharp corners and of crude construction, being thereby likewise possibly harmful and being incapable of withstanding the energetic action of young children bent on enjoyment rather than extended life of the game. These drawbacks have hindered widespread sale of such games and prevented them from realizing their full commercial capabilities.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the invention to provide in a game of the character described a catapult launcher, in which the catapult lever is pivotally interengaged with the base of the launcher in a unique fashion that permits ready assembly and easy relative pivotal movement, and yet captively interlocks the lever to the base, so that even when handled roughly the lever will not become disengaged from the base.

Other objects of the invention in part will be obvious and in part will be pointed out hereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the game hereinafter described and of which the scope of application will be indicated in the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the accompanying drawings in which is shown one of the various possible embodiments of the invention,

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of the game, the same illustrating the target grid, a single projectile launcher and a single projectile seated in the grid, it being understood that a typical game includes many more projectiles, preferably subdivided into differently colored groups, and more launchers, a different one for each player;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the game shown in FIG. 1; the projectile, however, instead of being illustrated as seated in an opening in the target grid, is shown in dot and dash lines in its path of flight from the launcher to the target grid;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged vertical central longitudinal view through the projectile launcher, the same being taken substantially along the line 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a highly enlarged vertical central longitudinal view only through the portion of the launcher including the scoring marker and associated portion of the launcher base, said figure illustrating the launcher base and marker at a stage in the coupling of the marker to the base;

FIG. 5 is an auxiliary fragmentary view taken substantially along the line 55 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged transverse vertical sectional view through the pivot interconnecting the launching lever and the base of the launcher, the same being taken substantially along the line 6-6 of FIG. 1 and illustrating the pivot as it appears after the two parts have been fully assembled;

FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 6, but showing the two parts at a stage of their assembly;

FIG. 8 is a bottom plan view of the launcher in the vicinity of the pivotal interconnection between the launching lever and the base of the launcher;

LII

FIG. 9 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken substantially along the line 9-9 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 10 is an enlarged axial fragmentary view through the nose of a projectile and the spherical weight before the two are fully assembled;

FIG. 11 is a view similar to FIG. 10, but showing the weight as it appears when tightly seated in the nose of the projectile;

FIG. 12 is a side view ofa group of differently colored projectiles; and

FIG. 13 is an enlarged top plan view of the central portion of the target grid, the same illustrating the subdivision of the target grid into areas of different colors which match different colors of the projectiles.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referrring now in detail to the drawings, the reference numeral 20 (see FIGS. 1 and 2) denotes a game embodying the present invention. The game includes a target grid 22, a catapult launcher 24 and a projectile 26. As indicated previously, the general combination of these three elements, inclusive of plural projectiles and plural launchers, has been proposed heretofore. However, the individual components have been more or less crude and subject to various drawbacks. The present invention resides in constructing these three components in an improved manner which provides more safety and a more attractive play and which renders the components better suited to withstand the rough handling to which action games of this type are subjected by vigorous youngsters.

The principal elements of all of the components are fabricated from synthetic plastic, preferably a thermoplastic, such as polyethylene, which is able to withstand impacts and which can be readily manufactured by high speed, low cost, mass production techniques, such as injection molding. The entire target grid is made of synthetic plastic as a single piece. The projectile is made of a single piece of synthetic plastic, except for its weight. The base of the projectile launcher, the scoring marker and the launching lever are each a single piece of synthetic plastic. The spring for the launching lever preferably is made of a metal spring wire and, as later will be seen, an identifying panel is provided for each launcher, this optionally being fabricated from paper.

The target grid 22 constitutes a boundary frame 28 formed with four side walls joined in a plan square configuration. The side walls are slightly upwardly convergent for easy withdrawal from a mold. The bottom edges of the side walls are formed with an integrally outwardly extending ledge 30 that terminates in a perimetric dependent flange 32 (see FIG. 9), the lower edge of the flange lying in a horizontal plane and being adapted to sit on a flat horizontal surface such as a floor or table. If desired, the space defined by the ledge 30 and flange 32 may constitute a seat for reception of a cardboard closure panel.

The boundary frame 28 serves to support a projectile receiving partition 34 of the target grid. The design of the partition 34 is a feature of the present invention, being such as to eliminate the presence of upwardly extending pointed cusps that might be struck by an unwary young player of the game.

In particular, the projectile receiving partition 34 is offset downwardly from the upper edge of the boundary frame so that in its protected position it is less likely to be accidentally struck by a user. Said projectile receiving partition is generally horizontal and is composed of rows and columns of juxtaposed projectile receiving seats 36, each seat being bounded by an upwardly facing mouth of square configuration. All of the mouths are of the same size. The rows and columns of mouths are mutually rectangularly (orthogonally) oriented, that is to say, the rows extend at right angles to the columns. The number of mouths in each row is the same and is equal to the number in each column so that the over-all array is square to fit within the square frame 28.

In particular, the individual seats 36 are in the shape of inverted truncated square pyramids, so that each seat is composed of four planar, that is to say, flat, walls 38. The walls converge downwardly to the truncated end of the seat which is in the form of an opening 40. The openings are of circular plan configuration, whereby each opening intersects each of its four associated walls in a quadrant of a circle, as viewed in plan. The intersection of each opening with its affiliated walls forms a cusp 42 at each corner of the pyramidal seat, as can be seen in FIG. 9, but it is important to observe that these cusps extend in a downward direction toward the supporting base of the frame, so that they are protected and are not likely to be inadvertently struck by a player of a game. As later will be seen, the angle of convergence of the four walls 38 is approximately equal to the angle of convergence of a conical projectile 26, so that, as can be seen from inspection of FIG. 9, when a projectile is received in a seat it fits nicely therein and does not rock about excessively. Preferably, the angle of convergence of the projectile is a few, e.g., ten degrees, smaller than the angle of convergence of the seat, for the projectile to be more easily guided down into the opening 40.

As can be seen from FIGS. 1,9 and I3, adjacent seats are in linear contact with one another at their broad open mouths which constitute the bases of the inverted pyramids. Thereby, the entire upper surface of the partition 34 is composed of seats with no spaces between them. Hence, when a projectile lands upon the partition, it will always be guided down into one of the seats and will not tend to rest upon the surface of the partition bridging seats.

Attention is particularly directed to the fact that because the seats are in the form of square pyramids, rather than cones for example, the lines of intersection of adjacent walls of juxtaposed pyramids form straight apices of dihedral angles and the entire upper surface of the partition 34 therefore is composed of a network of such apices which lie in a common horizontal plane. Moreover, where the apices intersect at the junctions of any four seats, the point of intersection will lie in the same horizontal plane as the apices it will not be situated above this plane to form a raised cusp such as is characteristic of target grids heretofore and which presented a possible danger to unwary enthusiastic players of the game.

To heighten the skill required in, and the pleasure received from, play of the game the partition 34 is subdivided into four quadrants by slightly thickening and raising the apices of the intersections of the seats 36 along the lines defining the boundaries between the quadrants. These thickened apices are indicated by the reference numeral 44 and will be seen in FIGS. 1, 9, and 13. In the specific example illustrated, where there are six rows and six columns of openings, the thickened apices 44 subdivide the partition into four equal sized quadrants, each consisting of three rows and three columns of seats. In order to distinguish the quadrants from one another, they are colored differently, the upper left-hand quadrant in FIG. 13 being colored green, the lower left-hand quadrant being colored red, the upper right-hand quandrant being colored blue, and the lower right-hand quadrant being colored yellow. It subsequently will be seen that each of these quadrant being colored red, the upper ritht-hand quadrant target grid which is intended to be assigned to a specific player so that he will be required to exercise additional skill in order to direct his projectiles to a target of such limited area.

Each projectile 26 is composed of a conical side wall 46 terminating at its apex in a rounded nose 48 and provided with a squat outwardly extending flange 50 at its wide end. Each projectile is hollow, being essentially in the form of a shell with an open wide end.

In order to steady the flight of the projectile, which is denoted by a dot and dash line in FIG. 2, the same is weighted at its nose. This has the further advantage that during the descending part of its travel the projectile will assume a nose downward position, thereby more positively tending to be received in a seat which is struck by its nose. Since the demarcation between any two adjacent openings is a thin line, and since the nose of the projectile is rounded, the projectile will automatically deflect into that seat which it principally overlies at the moment it strikes the partition 34.

To weight the projectile there is employed a ball 52, e.g., a steel ball, and the internal surface of the nose of the projectile is slightly thickened, as shown in FIGS. 10 and II, to form a circular rearwardly opening well 54. The bottom of the well is immediately adjacent the nose 48 and the well is arranged to be coincident with the longitudinal axis of symmetry of the projectile. The diameter of the well 54 is so dimensioned that it is slightly less than the diameter of the ball 52. For example, the diameter of the ball is 0.312 inches and the diameter of the well is 0.302 inches. It will be recalled that the projectile is made of polyethylene which is a somewhat yieldable plastic, i.e., can be a squeezed and distorted under pressure and which is resilient. The ball thereby is so dimensioned with respect to the well that it is a force fit in the well, as can be seen by comparing FIGS. 10 and 11, in the latter of which the ball is seated in the well. This seating is so tight that the ball will tend to remain in the well even through very rough handling by a child. Yet, the assembly is such that it can be carried out very quickly and easily by mass production methods, so that the projectiles are particularly inexpensive to make. As a precaution, although not necessary to the practice of the invention, the mouth of the well is slightly constricted by the provision of a half round inwardly extending rib 56, so that if the ball should be accidentally dislodged from its fully received position in the well, it will nevertheless tend to remain within the confines of the well.

The flange 50 aids to the flight stability characteristic of the projectile, tending to prevent wobbling during flight.

The game includes several projectiles 26, enough so that each player can be provided with a supply thereof. For example, there may be six projectiles for each player and if four players are contemplated, the game will include twenty-four projectiles. Moreover, in the preferred form of the invention the projectiles for each player are colored differently from the projectiles for all other players. One different projectile for each player is illustrated in FIG. 12, where there will be seen a green, a blue, a red and a yellow projectile. In the game just being described there typically will be six projectiles of each different color forming a differently colored group of projectiles for each different player. It is intended that the green projectiles be so directed during a launch that they will strike and be seated in the green quadrant of the target grid, similarly for the blue, and likewise for the red and yellow.

The catapult launcher 24 is illustrated in FIGS. 18. It includes a launcher base 58, a launching lever 60, a scoring marker 62 and a launching spring 64. It further includes an identifying color panel 66. The launching lever is pivotally connected to the base, as soon will be described. The spring is so arranged that it is compressed when the launching lever is depressed and will snap the launching lever up when said lever is released, and the scoring marker is secured to the base in such a fashion that it can be moved along the same to indicate the player's score. The color of the panel 66 is to identify a player and to assign to him a specific color group of projectiles and a specific colored quadrant of the target grid.

The base has the plan contour of a T, as best can be seen in FIG. 1. At the foot of the T is a raised hollow housing 68 is provided, the top wall of said housing being inclined toward the top of the base at an angle of about 30 The rear wall of the housing remote from the top of the base of the T is formed with an upwardly extending slot 70. The side walls of the housing adjacent the top of the base of the T are provided with transversely extending registered openings 72 (see FIGS. 3, 6, 7, and 8). These openings constitute journals for pivotal connection to the launching lever.

The launching lever 60 is formed to provide a launching platform 74 in which there is centered an upwardly extending truncated conical boss 76. The platform extends forwardly from the boss 76 in the configuration of a parallel-sided shank 78. The tip of the shank is bifurcated by a slot 80 to subdivide the tip into a pair of fingers 82. Inasmuch as the launching lever is fabricated from polyethylene, which is somewhat flexible, the provision of the slot 80 enables the fingers to be flexed toward one another. Also, since polyethylene is resilient, the

fingers will, after a deforming force has been removed therefrom, resume their normal parallel relationship. A pendent perimetral flange 79 circumscribes the launching lever, except at the tip thereof remote from the launching platform and except at the inner sides of the fingers 82, thereby heightening the ability of the fingers to flex upon the application of pressure. Pendent lugs 86 are located on the undersides of the tips of the fingers 82.

A pivot pin 88 extends outwardly from the outer side of the tip of each finger 82. These pins are in alignment and are horizontal in the assembled condition of the launcher 24. The pins extend far enough from the fingers to fully project through the openings 72 in the launcher base when the launching lever is fully assembled on the base. However, the fingers can be forced together enough to enable the pins to move toward one another to an extent such that the tips of the pins can be inserted into the housing 68 until the tips are in registration with the openings 72 and thereafter, upon release of the force squeezing the pins together, the pins will extend through the openings to form a freely turning pivotal connection with the launcher base.

In FIG. 7 there is illustrated the procedure by which the launching lever preferably is pivotally interconnected to the launcher base. Pursuant to this procedure one of the pins is inserted into its associated opening 72, the finger carrying the other pin then is urged toward the finger carrying the first pin until the amount of movement toward one another is sufficient to enable the second pin to enter its associated opening. During this time the launching lever is tilted. Then the launching lever is restored to its flat condition, i.e. with the shank 78 parallel to the top wall of the housing 68. Thereupon the pressure forcing the fingers together is released, allowing the second pin to snap into its associated opening 72. The latter position is illustrated in FIG. 6.

The foregoing method of assembly is conducive to inexpensive and rapid interengagement of the lever and base and thus enables the launcher to be put together inexpensively. However, it also is desirable to prevent an inquisitive and ingenious child from reversing this procedure and thereby disassembling the launcher, to the detriment of the game. For this purpose, the launcher includes a locking device, which, after the lever has been pivotally assembled to the base, makes it extremely difficult to squeeze the fingers back toward one another so as to disengage the pins from their openings. The locking device very simply comprises a pair of parallel ribs 90 depending from the undersurface of the top wall of the housing 68. The ribs 90 extend parallel to the length of the shank of the launching lever. The distance between the outer surfaces of the ribs 90 is slightly less than the space between the inner surface of the fingers 82 in relaxed position. Moreover, the ribs 90 are centered between the fingers when the launching lever is pivotally connected to the base, this being best seen in FIGS. 6 and 8. The ribs are of sufficient depth to extend into the space between the fingers where they fit loosely without inhibiting easy pivotal movement of the lever. However, the ribs, by being close to the inner surfaces of the fingers, prevent the fingers from being squeezed back together to release the pins from their associated openings. Hence, once the lever has been connected to the base, it is extremely difficult for a child to disassemble it.

The base 58 of the launching lever includes a bottom wall 92, which is provided with an upwardly extending plug 94 that is so situated as to be received within the hollow interior of the boss 76 when the launching lever is depressed to an extent such that the bottom edge of the flange 79 contacts the top surface of the wall 92. Moreover, the plug is small enough so that at this time a tubular space is left between it and the inner surface of the boss.

The spring 64 is a conical helicalcoil compression spring which is upwardly tapered. The narrow upper end of the spring is seated against the undersurface of the top wall of the boss 76. The broad lower end of the spring is seated in an annular well 96 circumscribing the base of the plug 94. The

shank 78 of the launching lever extends through the slot 70 in the distal wall of the housing 68.

The upper end of said slot acts as a stop for determining the upward position of the launching lever. The spring is so dimensioned that in this upward position of the launching lever the spring is still under compression. Obviously, when the launching lever is depressed, the compressive stress in the spring is increased. Thereafter, when the spring is released, the launching lever will fly upwardly, turning about the pins 88 until the shank 78 strikes the upper end of the slot 70, abruptly checking its movement and allowing a projectile which is seated on the boss 76 to fly up, hopefully in such direction that it will strike the target grid in an intended area.

The external surface of the boss 76 approximately matches the interior surface of the projectile around its wide base. However, it does not form a snug fit therewith which would tend to inhibit launching of the projectile. Rather, the fit is a slightly loose one a few hundredths of an inch too large in diameter.

An arcuate ledge 98 having its concave side facing the pivotal axis of the launching lever is provided at the distal side of the bottom wall 92 in a position where it is clear of the launching lever in depressed position. Seated flatly on the ledge is the identifying color panel 66. Desirably, one launcher is provided for each player, each launcher having an identifying panel of a different color such as one of green, blue, red and yellow.

The method for playing the game is quite apparent. Each player has assigned to him or selects a different color. He then temporarily acquires a launcher of that color and a group of projectiles of that color. Thereafter, the players in turn attempt to launch their projectiles in such a fashion that they will land on their assigned colored area of the target grid. The players usually will be told to place the launchers anywhere in back of a line spaced a certain distance from the target grid and the players may be placed at different spots around the target grid.

It will be observed that the various edges and corners of the different parts of the game are rounded to minimize injury to the players.

The scoring marker 62 aids a player in keeping track of his score. The scoring marker is intended to function in association with a printed scale 100 arranged alongside the distal edge of the panel 66. Said scoring marker cooperates with a curved slot 102 at the outer edge of the ledge 98. It will be observed that the distal edge 104 of the launcher base is spaced from the ledge 98 and defines one of the edges of the slot 102, the other edge of which is defined by the ledge 98. The upper surface of the edge 104 is somewhat above, e.g., a quarter of an inch above, the upper surface of the ledge 98. Because the base is made of flexible resilient polyethylene and because the curved slot 102 is quite long, running as it does lengthwise of the crossbar of the T-shaped base, it is relatively simple to displace the edge 104 vertically with respect to the ledge 98, thereby effectively enlarging the gap width of the slot 102. That is to say, the effective slot width increases because when the base is unstressed in this area, the slot has only a horizontal width and no vertical component, whereas when, as shown in FIG. 4, the parts are relatively displaced vertically, the large vertical component is created.

The scoring marker 62 is ladle-shaped. It includes a horizontal branch 106 which might be considered the handle of the ladle, and attached to an end of the branch is a U- shaped section including an inner leg 108 connected by a base 110 to an outer leg 112. The two legs are approximately parallel to one another. The outer leg 112 constitutes one wall of a handle 114. The inner surface of the outer leg is formed with a vertically extending indentation 116 (see FIG. 5).

When the scoring marker is coupled to the launching base, as best shown in FIG. 3, the branch 106 overlies the line of scale graduations 100. Said branch is formed with an aperture 118 which is large enough to show therethrough any one scale number and exclude scale numbers lying to either side thereof. The undersurface of the branch 106 adjacent the inner leg 108 rides on a stub rib 120 forming the inner edge of the slot 102, said stub rib protruding upwardly from the ledge 98. The inner leg 108 extends downwardly from the branch through the slot 102 lying vertically alongside of the inner edge of said slot. The base 110 of the scoring marker slides along the lower surface of a flange 122 depending from the perimeter of the edge 104. The outer leg 112 extends vertically upwardly from the base along the outer surface of said flange 122, lightly engaging the same. Desirably, the top edge of the inner leg 108 is level with or extends slightly above the edge 104. Inasmuch as the edge 104 with its flange 122 substantially fills the scoop portion of the ladle-shaped scoring marker, and inasmuch as the branch 106 engages the top surface of the ledge 98 by riding along the rib 120, once the marker has been coupled to the base it remains captively held in position thereon, although it can slide along the slot 102 and the edge 104.

The flange 122 is formed with a plurality of narrow vertical protuberances 124, each protuberance being aligned with an associated number of the scoring graduations 100. These protuberances will snugly fit into the indentation 116 and when any single protuberance is thus disposed the aperture 118 of the branch 106 will expose therethrough a selected scoring number. Because the scoring marker is slightly flexible and resilient, it can be moved so that the indentation successively engages protuberance after protuberance under the control of the player.

To couple the scoring marker to the base of the launcher, the ledge 98 is depressed with respect to the edge 104, as shown in FIG. 4. Then the branch 106 of the scoring marker is tilted and inserted through the vertically enlarged slot 102, as illustrated likewise in FIG. 4. This insertion is carried out sufflciently to insert the edge 104 and its flange 122 in the channel of the marker. Then, the ledge 98 is released whereupon the rib 120 will engage the undersurface of the branch to captively lock the same to the launcher base.

Desirably, a post 126 extends vertically up from the base 110 to ride alongside of the inner surface of the flange 122. This aids in locking the scoring marker to the launcher base.

It will be appreciated that although the scoring marker may be readily easily assembled on the base as described above, it will hold itself in place despite rough handling of the launcher and only can be removed deliberately.

It thus will be seen that there has been provided a game which achieves the several objects of the invention and which is well adapted to meet the conditions of practical use.

As various possible embodiments might be made of the above invention, and as various changes might be made in the embodiment above set forth, it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

We claim:

1. In a game of the character described, a projectile launcher comprising a launching base and a launching lever, said launching base including means providing a pair of horizontally registered openings, said launching lever constituting a single piece including a launching platform connected to a shank, the end of the shank remote from the platform being composed of a pair of parallel fingers, said fingers having registered pins extending away from the outer sides thereof, the outer sides of said fingers being spaced apart a distance slightly less than the space between said openings, said pins being received in said openings, whereby to pivotally connect the launching lever to the launching base, the launching lever being made of a flexible resilient material to permit the lever to be assembled to the base by squeezing the fingers toward one another, placing the fingers between the openings and then releasing the fingers, coil compression means to spring bias the launching lever away from the launching base, means to limit movement of the launching lever away from the launching base, said base limitin movement of the lever toward the base, and means located etween the fingers after the pins are pivotally disposed in the openings, whereby to deter squeezing of the fingers together to disengage the pins from the openings.

2. A projectile launcher as set forth in claim 1 wherein the projectile base includes a hollow housing covering from above the pivotal connection between the launching lever and the launching base, and wherein the means located between the fingers is carried by said housing.

3. A projectile launcher as set forth in claim 2 wherein the means to deter squeezing of the fingers together constitutes a protuberance depending from the inner surface of the upper wall of the housing.

4. In a game of the character described, a catapult launcher comprising a launching base and a launching lever, said launching base having a hollow housing, said housing having a top wall, side walls and a rear wall having a substantial vertical component, said rear wall being formed with an upwardly extending slot that terminates in an upper end below the top wall, said launching lever having a shank extending from outside said housing through said slot into said housing, means connecting the interior end of the shank to the housing so as to pivotally mount the launching lever on the launching base for rotation about a horizontal axis below and substantially forward of said upper end, and a compression coil spring means between said launching lever and the launching base, said spring means urging said launching lever upwardly away from said base into contact with the upper end of said slot which thereby acts as a stop for upward movement of the launching lever at an angularly rearwardly inclined position of said lever, whereby when the launching lever is depressed and a projectile is placed on the end thereof externally of the housing and thereafter the launching lever is released, the lever will fly upwardly until it contacts the upper end of the slot, whereupon a projectile on the launching lever will be snapped away from and off of the launching lever along a plane of flight perpendicular to the pivotal axis of rotation of the launching lever and in an upwardly and forwardly inclined direction so that the projectile will travel through an arched trajectory having its maximum height substantially forward of the launcher. 

